The Flame Trees of Thika - 2-DVD Set

The Flame Trees of Thika - 2-DVD Set (DVD) (*)

Out of Stock

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
Australia ( PAL/NTSC/Region 0 )

Running Time:
350 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
2-DVD Set
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1981 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Roy Ward Baker

Written By:
John Hawkesworth
Elspeth Huxley

Actors:
Hayley Mills ..... Tilly (7 episodes, 1981)
David Robb ..... Robin
Holly Aird ..... Elspeth (7 episodes, 1981)
Mick Chege ..... Njombo (7 episodes, 1981)
Sharon Maughan ..... Lettice (5 episodes, 1981)
John Nettleton ..... Major (5 episodes, 1981)
Steve Mwenesi ..... Sammy (5 episodes, 1981)
Nicholas Jones ..... Hereward
Ben Cross ..... Ian
Carol MacReady ..... Mrs. Nimmo (4 episodes, 1981)
Mzee Pembe ..... Chief Kupanya (4 episodes, 1981)
William Morgan Sheppard ..... Mr. Roos
David Bradley ..... Alec
Paul Onsongo ..... Juma (3 episodes, 1981)

Synopsis:

When a young Edwardian family leaves the shores of England to build a home in the wilderness of East Africa, what they encounter is beyond their imagination, but forever remembered through the eyes of their 11-year-old daughter. Based on the beloved memoir by Elspeth Huxley, The Flame Trees of Thika brings to life the colour and adventure of turn-of-the-century Kenya.
In 1913, Robin (David Robb) and Tilly Grant (Hayley Mills) arrive in Kenya with the dream of transforming a barren plot of land into a thriving coffee plantation. But torrential rains, relentless insects and murderous animals, as well as relations with natives and other settlers, challenge their ambitions. Will England call them back? Or will the wide-eyed wonder of young Elspeth (Holly Aird) help unlock the mysteries of a foreign land and open the doors into the pleasures and rewards of a new home? From the creator of Upstairs, Downstairs, The Flame Trees of Thika is an enchanting, critically acclaimed mini-series featuring all seven episodes authentically shot on location.

Season 1
The Promised Land S1, Ep1 Sep. 1, 1981
Young Elspeth arrives in Thika, Kenya, with her optimistic parents who have purchased an unpromising tract of land in hopes of establishing a coffee farm.
Hyenas Will Eat Anything S1, Ep2 Sep. 8, 1981
The Grants get new neighbors when Hereward and Lettice Palmer arrive. He was an officer in the British Indian Army and neither seem prepared for the hardship they must face. Lettice almost goes to pieces when she finds their headman has been badly beaten and lay dying. She tells her husband that that she's not sure she wants to stay. Mr. Roos offers to show Robin's workers how to handle the plow animals but Robin doesn't quite agree with his handling of the local Africans, including Sammy. Elspeth receives a gift of two chameleons which she names George and Mary.
Happy New Year S1, Ep3 Sep. 15, 1981
At the end of 1913, Tilly and Robin travel to Nairobi with the Palmers to ring in the new year. They leave Eslpeth in the care of Mrs. Nimmo, whose husband is still away. On New Year's eve, Mrs. Nimmo has a party and invites Alec Wilson and another couple. A good time is had by all - even when one of the guests begins to shoot up the place. A friend of the Palmers, Ian Crawford, arrives after acquiring horses in Abyssinia and Elspeth receives a very special gift. Crawford is very much attracted to Lettice but she resists his advances.
Friends in High Places S1, Ep4 Sep. 22, 1981
Elspeth and Sammy are in put in danger when they face a herd of rampaging elephants. Mrs. Nimmo attends to Sammy's wife who has had a miscarriage, but her recommendation that the woman be transported to the hospital in Nairobi is overruled when the family brings in the local medicine man. Robin has been blasting old trees and stumps, but tragedy ensues when Sammy's young son steals blasting caps from a locked shed. Njombo becomes mysteriously ill and while the doctor can find nothing wrong with him, he is convinced that a curse has been placed on him, most likely by ...
A Real Sportsman S1, Ep5 Sep. 29, 1981
The Palmers receive their new piano and face a challenge in getting it moved to the farm. Hereward is worried about Lettice and whether she has the stamina to bear living in Africa. He notes that about the only activity she engages in is to go on safari with Ian Crawford. As Lettice and Hereward's marriage begins to disintegrate, it is apparent to almost everyone that Ian and Lettice are in love. When one of Lettice's beloved pekingese is carried away by a leopard, Hereward, Robin and Alec Wilson set off to kill it. They eventually turn to Mr. Roos for some ...
Safari S1, Ep6 Oct. 6, 1981
With Robin and Elspeth staying behind at the farm, Tilly joins the Palmers and Ian Crawford on safari. Lettice finally admits to Ian that she loves him. Things come to a boil between Ian and Hereward but Crawford's bearer Ahmed intervenes, severely wounding Palmer. At the farm meanwhile, Elspeth takes Njomo's advice and gets the local medicine man to give her a charm to protect Twinkle. She's hurt however when Twinkle goes off on her own and doesn't return home. Everyone hears that World War I has started in Europe and Robin and the Major decide to go to Nairobi see ...
The Drums of War S1, Ep7 Oct. 13, 1981
With Robin away, Tilly decides to go to Nairobi to do what she can for he war effort. As a result, Elspeth must go lives with the Robinsons, a wealthy merchant family who have a resident governess for their children. Elspeth doesn't adapt very well however and decides to run away. Hereward is in the army in France while Robin and Ian Crawford have joined the local forces but Tilly gets some bad news after a battle in the south. When Robin gets orders to join his old regiment in France, Tilley make plans to return to England, at least temporarily.

Elspeth and her unconventional parents decide to settle down in Kenya and begin a coffee plantation. This is a time of discovery for Elspeth, as she encounters the incredible beauty and cruelty of nature, and new friendships with both Africans and British expatriates. A side plot involves the beautiful and bored British Lettice Palmer who enters into an affair with a handsome safari guide. Eventually, however, the excitement of Elspeth's life is disrupted by the onset of WW I, and the changes it brings.

This product was added to our catalog on Thursday 07 November, 2013.